The 2023 NRLW Premiership was the sixth professional season of Women's rugby league in Australia. As announced in March 2022 by the governing body, the National Rugby League, the number of teams increased from six to ten. The duration of the season was confirmed by the NRL in a media release on 14 February 2023 as nine rounds followed by semi-finals and a Grand Final.
Contracted players were paid for a seven-week preparation period prior to the commencement of the competition, plus two weeks leave, for a total of 20 weeks. The contract period for players was, however, twelve months. The announcement also confirmed a rise in the salary cap from $350,000 in 2022 to $900,000 in 2023.
Teams The line-up of teams increased from six to ten. Two of the new clubs announced in October 2022 the appointment of their NRLW coach for the 2023 season.
ClubSeasonHead coachCaptain(s) Brisbane Broncos6th season Scott Prince Ali Brigginshaw (10) Canberra Raiders 1st season Darrin Borthwick Simaima Taufa (9) and Zahara Temara (9) Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 1st season Tony Herman Tiana Penitani (9) Gold Coast Titans 3rd season Karyn Murphy Georgia Hale (11) Newcastle Knights3rd season Ronald Griffiths Hannah Southwell (8) and Tamika Upton (11) North Queensland Cowboys 1st season Ben Jeffries Kirra Dibb (9) and Tallisha Harden (9) Parramatta Eels3rd season Dean Widders Kennedy Cherrington (5) and Rachael Pearson (6) St. George Illawarra Dragons6th season Jamie Soward Raecene McGregor (9) Sydney Roosters6th season John Strange Isabelle Kelly (10) Wests Tigers 1st season Brett Kimmorley Kezie Apps (7) and Botille Vette-Welsh (7) also Christian Pio (1: Round 9) Notes In the Captain(s) column The number next to the name indicates the number of games played as captain The word and indicates joint captains. Of the five clubs that employed joint captains, two clubs had both appear in every match. At two other clubs, the Knights and Eels, only one of the pair played in every game. The word also indicates the player deputised as captain when the regular captain missed one or more matches. This was the case at the Wests Tigers, as both joint captains missed their Round 9 match.
Scheduling The season saw the ten teams play each other once across nine rounds, followed by a two-week final series that involved the top four teams. They played semi-finals with the winners meeting in the Grand Final.
Scheduling of the season allowed for: An All Stars match on 11 February 2023. State Competitions in which most NRLW players participated. New South Wales 11 rounds and a Finals Series from 4 February 2023 to 29 April 2023; and Queensland 7 rounds and a Finals Series from 11 March 2023 to early May 2023; A seven-week preparation period. Two weeks of leave. A two-match Women's State of Origin series on 1 June (Parramatta) and 22 June 2023 (Townsville).
Pre-season trial matches
HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereesAttendanceReports Gold Coast Titans 30-6 North Queensland Cowboys Saturday 1 July Pizzey Park Parramatta Eels 18-14 St. George Illawarra Dragons Friday 7 July7:00 PM Eric Tweedale Stadium, Granville Billy Greatbatch Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 22-0 Wests Tigers Saturday 8 July PointsBet Stadium Adam Sirriani Newcastle Knights 4-18 Brisbane Broncos Saturday 8 July 3:00 PM Maitland No.1 Sportsground Louis Matheson
Ladder 2023 NRLW season Team 1 Newcastle Knights 9 8 0 1 224 119 +105 16 2 Sydney Roosters 9 7 0 2 284 120 +164 14 3 Gold Coast Titans 9 7 0 2 164 126 +38 14 4 Brisbane Broncos 9 6 0 3 256 165 +91 12 5 Canberra Raiders 9 5 0 4 173 206 –33 10 6 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 9 4 0 5 202 150 +52 8 7 St George Illawarra Dragons 9 3 0 6 182 210 –28 6 8 Wests Tigers 9 2 0 7 136 186 –50 4 9 North Queensland Cowboys 9 2 0 7 133 266 –133 4 10 Parramatta Eels 9 1 0 8 104 310 –206 2
Ladder progression Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top four. Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round. Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished last place on the ladder in that round.
Team1234567891 Newcastle Knights2 2468101214162 Sydney Roosters22468101212143 Gold Coast Titans 2466681012144 Brisbane Broncos 0 0 2 4 4 6810125 Canberra Raiders 0 2 4688 8 10 106 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks2 2 2 2 4 4 4 6 87 St George Illawarra Dragons 02 2 2 4 4 6 6 68 Wests Tigers244 4 4 4 4 4 49 North Queensland Cowboys 0 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 410 Parramatta Eels000002222
Regular season The first announcement of the 2023 NRLW season's fixtures was released by the NRL on 27 April 2023.
Round 1 HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereesAttendanceReports Gold Coast Titans 16-6 North Queensland Cowboys Saturday 22 July12:50 PM Cbus Super Stadium Belinda Sharpe 7,926 NRL Newcastle Knights 32-16 St. George Illawarra Dragons Saturday 22 July3:10 PM McDonald Jones Stadium Darian Furner 8,109 NRL Brisbane Broncos 18-36 Sydney Roosters Saturday 22 July7:45 PM Sunshine Coast Stadium Wyatt Raymond 2,832 NRL Parramatta Eels 8-36 Wests Tigers Sunday 23 July12:00 PM CommBank Stadium Rochelle Tamarua 2,095 NRL Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 28-14 Canberra Raiders Sunday 23 July1:50 PM PointsBet Stadium Kasey Badger10,634 NRL
Round 2 HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereesAttendanceReports Brisbane Broncos 16-17() Gold Coast Titans Thursday 27 July5:40 PM The Gabba Belinda Sharpe 7,279 NRL Canberra Raiders 24-14 Sydney Roosters Saturday 29 July12:50 PM GIO Stadium Cameron Paddy 8,034 NRL St. George Illawarra Dragons 38-12 Parramatta Eels Saturday 29 July3:00 PM WIN StadiumWyatt Raymond 5,872 NRL Newcastle Knights 20-31 North Queensland Cowboys Sunday 30 July12:00 PM Belmore Sports Ground Kasey Badger 1,584 NRL Wests Tigers 10-0 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Sunday 30 July1:50 PM Rochelle Tamarua 2,196 NRL
Round 3 HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereesAttendanceReports Sydney Roosters 30-0 St. George Illawarra Dragons Thursday 3 August5:40 PM Sydney Cricket Ground Wyatt Raymond 4,201 NRL North Queensland Cowboys 12-40 Brisbane Broncos Saturday 5 August12:50 PM Queensland Country Bank Stadium Nick Pelgrave NRL Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 8-10 Gold Coast Titans Saturday 5 August3:10 PM PointsBet Stadium Darian Furner 3,021 NRL Parramatta Eels 4-38 Newcastle Knights Sunday 6 August12:00 PM CommBank Stadium Belinda Sharpe 23,596 NRL Canberra Raiders 28-22 Wests Tigers Sunday 6 August1:50 PM GIO Stadium Damian Brady 7,140 NRL
Round 4 HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereesAttendanceReports St. George Illawarra Dragons 18-19() Canberra Raiders Saturday 12 August11:05 AM WIN Stadium Kasey Badger NRL North Queensland Cowboys 16-12 Wests Tigers Saturday 12 August12:50 PM Totally Workwear Stadium Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski 1,173 NRL Brisbane Broncos 22-12 Parramatta Eels Saturday 12 August3:10 PM Rochelle Tamarua 1,811 NRL Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 12-36 Sydney Roosters Sunday 13 August12:03 PM PointsBet Stadium Belinda Sharpe 1,920 NRL Newcastle Knights 22-10 Gold Coast Titans Sunday 13 August1:50 PM McDonald Jones Stadium Liam Kennedy 12,889 NRL
Round 5 HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereesAttendanceReports North Queensland Cowboys 12-40 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Saturday 19 August11:05 AM Queensland Country Bank Stadium Belinda Sharpe 1,878 NRL Wests Tigers 16-20 St. George Illawarra Dragons Saturday 19 August12:50 PM CommBank Stadium Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski 3,652 NRL Gold Coast Titans 8-30 Sydney Roosters Saturday 19 August3:10 PM Cbus Super Stadium Rochelle Tamarua 6,943 NRL Newcastle Knights 22-20 Brisbane Broncos Sunday 20 August12:03 PM McDonald Jones Stadium Darian Furner 17,043 NRL Canberra Raiders 28-22 Parramatta Eels Sunday 20 August1:45 PM GIO Stadium Kasey Badger 7,185 NRL
Round 6 HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereesAttendanceReports Parramatta Eels 16-12 North Queensland Cowboys Saturday 26 August11:05 AM Netstrata Jubilee Stadium Cameron Paddy 520 NRL St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-23 Gold Coast Titans Saturday 26 August1:15 PM Belinda Sharpe 1,312 NRL Sydney Roosters 48-10 Wests Tigers Saturday 26 August3:10 PM Allianz Stadium Mitch Currie 8,161 NRL Brisbane Broncos 40-8 Canberra Raiders Sunday 27 August12:03 PM Totally Workwear Stadium Rochelle Tamarua 1,692 NRL Newcastle Knights 22-14 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Sunday 27 August1:45 PM McDonald Jones Stadium Kasey Badger 19,519 NRL
Round 7 HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereesAttendanceReports Canberra Raiders 12-20 Newcastle Knights Saturday 2 September11:05 AM GIO Stadium Wyatt Raymond 1,962 NRL Brisbane Broncos 32-28 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Saturday 2 September12:50 PM Queensland Country Bank Stadium Nick Pelgrave 1,478 NRL North Queensland Cowboys 16-48 St. George Illawarra Dragons Saturday 2 September3:10 PM Liam Kennedy 2,497 NRL Gold Coast Titans 16-4 Wests Tigers Sunday 3 September12:03 PM Cbus Super Stadium Rochelle Tamarua 4,790 NRL Sydney Roosters 46-12 Parramatta Eels Sunday 3 September1:50 PM Industree Group Stadium Darian Furner 3,756 NRL
Round 8 HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereesAttendanceReports Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 16-8 St. George Illawarra Dragons Thursday 7 September7:45 PM PointsBet Stadium Wyatt Raymond 1,630 NRL Wests Tigers 18-22 Brisbane Broncos Saturday 9 September11:30 AM McDonald Jones Stadium Darian Furner NRL Newcastle Knights 20-4 Sydney Roosters Saturday 9 September1:30 PM Kasey Badger 3,643 NRL North Queensland Cowboys 12-34 Canberra Raiders Sunday 10 September11:30 AM Cbus Super Stadium Belinda Sharpe 1,096 NRL Gold Coast Titans 34-12 Parramatta Eels Sunday 10 September1:30 PM Rochelle Tamarua 2,086 NRL
Round 9 HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereesAttendanceReports Wests Tigers 8-28 Newcastle Knights Thursday 14 September7:45 PM Leichhardt Oval Rochelle Tamarua 1,733 NRL Sydney Roosters 40-16 North Queensland Cowboys Saturday 16 September6:00 PM Netstrata Jubilee Stadium Wyatt Raymond 632 NRL St. George Illawarra Dragons 12-46 Brisbane Broncos Saturday 16 September8:10 PM Belinda Sharpe 1,736 NRL Parramatta Eels 6-56 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Sunday 17 September1:00 PM GIO Stadium Darian Furner NRL Canberra Raiders 6-30 Gold Coast Titans Sunday 17 September3:15 PM Kasey Badger 2,889 NRL Notes:
Finals Series On 25 August 2023, the NRL announced that both NRLW semi-finals will be played on Sunday, 24 September 2023, at the respective, selected home grounds of the teams that finish 1st and 2nd on the ladder. The matches will be 2nd vs 3rd and 1st vs 4th. Within two hours of full time in the last regular season match, the NRL announced the kick-off times of the semi-finals and confirmed the venues. HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereesAttendanceReports Newcastle Knights 30-24 Brisbane Broncos Sunday. 24 September 2:05 PM McDonald Jones Stadium Belinda Sharpe 12,689 NRL Sydney Roosters 0-12 Gold Coast Titans Sunday. 24 September 4:15 PM Allianz Stadium Kasey Badger 3,028 NRL
Grand Final
On 24 July 2023 the ARLC confirmed the men's and women's final will be held in Sydney on a one-year deal, while the new Minns Government continues to negotiate with the ARLC for further stadium upgrades for both NRL competitions. HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereesAttendanceReports Newcastle Knights 24-18 Gold Coast Titans Sunday 1 October 3:55 PM Accor Stadium Belinda Sharpe 40,649 NRL
Team of the week At the conclusion of each round, the media department of the NRL announce a team of the week. Seventeen players are named. Round 1 to Round 5